19 July 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Tuesday 19 July 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalm 45

This is an ode to a king’s wedding full of praise and descriptions of beauty, strength and wealth.

Amos 6: 8 – 7: 9

Amos’s message from God continues explaining that the destruction will be wrought on the whole territory of Israel. The great houses and the little houses will be shattered. God describes the punishment and Amos pleads for the people. The punishment no longer is locusts or all-consuming fire but that God will not be available to the people – God will pass them by.

John 7: 1 – 13

Jesus goes about in Galilee. The disciples want to go to Judea to the festival of the Booths and for Jesus to convince others. Jesus says the timing is not right for him but the disciples are welcome to go to the festival.  Some days later Jesus follows in secret.

During the festival the Jews are searching for Jesus and he is getting mixed reviews though no one speaks openly about him out of fear.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Grass and Sturt
Desert Peas
Broken Hill
NSW
L Osburn

Wonderful and amazing God you set what is true and upright for the foundations of our lives. You listen in secret to our thoughts and fears and you respond to our pleas and prayers. When we get caught in the displays, in the revelling in individual pride and success, help us quietly to listen to the yearnings in our hearts for you and to the fears we hold about the pressures we feel in society so that we bring those conflicted thoughts to you. Empower us to leave our past beliefs and embrace you as the king in our lives knowing always that whether we are aware of it or not, you are just there, in the crowd, at our side and not passing by through the power of your Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Tuesday 19 July 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalms 46 and 47

God is our strength and refuge and we are to be in awe of him: to be still and know that God is God.

The second psalm is a joyous song of praise beginning with clapping our hands. Our God is awesome ruler of everything, shielding us. God is to be exalted.

Ezekiel 33: 21 – 33

Those who are warriors, those who are in the fields and those who hide in caves will all die.

People come to hear the prophet but treat him as an entertainer. They do not take his words seriously or change their lives. When the destruction comes, and it will come, then they will recognise that a prophet had been with them.

Romans 2: 1 – 11

When we judge others we need to take care since by our own standards we will be judged. God’s kindness and patience is there to lead us to repentance not to judging others. If we patiently do God’s work we be honoured but those who seek their own fame and seek evil will encounter fury. Glory and honour and peace await all who do good. God is impartial.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Sunset
Mundi Mundi Plain
NSW L Osburn

Merciful and generous God, you want us to take your word and the messages of your prophets seriously, to love you first, to repent, to seek good, to be the peace we long to see, to show kindness and to be patient. Doing this honours you and enables others to take us seriously, rethink their lives and come to you which spurs us to clap our hands with joy and sing your praises through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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